by Marcia Yerman, Activist/Artist/Writer & Contributor to EmpowHER & Huffington Post

June was a rocky month for me. Reality kept rearing its insistent head, reminding me that my son was leaving for college - and a new life - in sixty days. All the decisions I had been able to put off for years because of my son's priorities were now rushing to the fore and demanding my attention.

 

Ironically, it was during the same time frame that I was working on an article about Sarah's new book, Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation. As part of the press kit, I had received her meditation CD. I listened to the first track. It immediately resonated and made the lessons from the book visceral for me.

 

Soon, every morning before getting out of bed, I put on my headphones and meditated along with Sarah. At night, I did the "Transformational" or "Gratitude" meditation-always ending with the "Crystal Bowl Healing Sounds," which served as a kind of auditory amen. I had sandwiched in my own personal 90-second prayer, the one I have been reciting since the age of six. As Sarah frequently explains, meditation can co-exist with your religious beliefs.

 

Recognizing that my nervous system was on overload, I was excited to discover that meditation could alter brain patterns-regardless of one's age-and that there was real science and date to back the findings up.

 

Beyond the actual act of meditation, I began incorporating a number of Sarah's lifestyle suggestions into my daily routine. Previously on my own, I had been gravitating toward many of the behaviors that Sarah advocated in her book. Intuitively and organically I was on the same track.

 

I felt calmer when I sought out green oases within the urban sprawl of New York City. I had decided to cancel my newspaper subscription for the three months of summer because I was feeling as if I were drowning in a morass of frustratingly bad news that I could not impact. It's what Sarah calls a "media-fast."  

 

In addition, without yet knowing of Sarah's "one-day a month" retreat of unplugging from electronics, I had decided that for a week I would only fulfill essential computer work. That meant staying off social media over the weekend (I am an inveterate Tweeter!).

 

It made a difference.

 

Read more of Marcia's Meditation Story here. 

 

October 16-21 at the Butterfly Inn in Oak Creek Canyon, you can refresh, renew, transform as you enjoy a medically-supervised raw food and juice fast. Explore your relationship with food, learn the Art of Feminine Presence, experience yoga and movement therapy, enliven your creativity, and learn to meditate deeply. It's an intimate retreat for women by women. Call (928) 284-4030 or visit this link to find out more.

Friday, October 19, Scottsdale, AZ  

 

7:00-9:30 pm, come to a premiere of the movie Sacred Journey of the Heart at Harkins Camelback Theater. Join luminaries Sarah McLean, Cynthia James, Mary Manin Morrissey, Dr. Rollin McCraty, Uqualla, Larry Running Turtle, and Sunny Dawn Johnson for a discussion with the audience after the movie. Get your tickets here!